If you have a low income, little to no savings, no valuable assets, or if you simply can’t afford traditional long-term care insurance, you may be eligible to receive long-term care benefits from the government.
Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program
FLTCIP is designed for individuals who work for or who have worked for the federal government who need assistance paying for long-term care expenses once they can no longer perform activities of daily living by themselves due to chronic illness, injury, disability or aging.
Who is eligible?
The FLTCIP website states that this insurance program is for “Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees and annuitants, active and retired members of the uniformed services, certain other eligible groups, and their qualified relatives.”
If you’ve worked for the federal government under any capacity, you can check your eligibility for this program here.
How do you apply?
If you’re eligible for coverage, you can apply online here or through a certified long-term care insurance consultant.
Medicaid
Under strict rules, Medicaid can help you pay for long-term care.
Jointly run by federal and state governments, Medicaid is a health benefits program designed to help individuals with low income and/or little to no assets pay for qualified health care and long-term care expenses.
Medicaid can cover long-term care services, including medical and custodial care, in nursing homes and at home if you meet eligibility criteria.
Who is eligible?
Your state government determines eligibility. In general, for you to be eligible for Medicaid, your income and assets must not exceed state income and asset allowances.
For a complete breakdown of state-by-state Medicaid eligibility requirements, check out this article from Policygenuis.
How do you apply?
You can apply through your state’s Medicaid website or HealthCare.gov.
Medicare
Medicare only covers a few qualifying long-term care expenses after hospitalization. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to receive long-term care benefits from Medicare, you must meet three conditions:
- You’ve been admitted to a hospital for at least three days.
- You’ve been admitted to a Medicare-certified nursing facility within 30 days of your original hospital stay.
- You need skilled nursing services, physical therapy, or other types of therapy.
Even if you meet all three of these conditions, Medicare may not cover all your long-term care expenses.
It will cover the entire cost of long-term care only for the first 20 days of your stay at a Medicare-certified nursing facility. Then it will cover part of your long-term care costs from day 21 of your stay to day 100 — and nothing afterward.
The bottom line
Hope isn’t lost if you can’t afford traditional long-term care insurance or can’t afford any other plan for meeting the heavy cost burden of long-term care — your state and federal government may be able to help you. Check out this article if you want to learn more about planning for long-term care.
